What are Most of the Fish Doing Right Now?

I have barely gotten to fish this spring, so the couple of times I've gone, I've just been jumping in trying to find them from scratch. That, and as I've mentioned in other threads, we moved to the shoals area 3 years ago, and I've yet to figure out the crappie over here.

But, back to my thread title - where are the crappie right now? I assume at least the males are still shallow around beds, right? Are the females moving back out? In short, are y'all catching them up shallow, or on deeper structure?

I tried out a new creek (spring creek, I think it's called) on the pickwick side yesterday. I took my kayak because I didn't know what the ramp or water was going to be like for my bigger boat. It looked great, and I didn't catch a single crappie, which is pretty standard for most of my trips around here.

Last time I fished week before last some were still shallow. I’m sure some have already laid out and moved back out. Last week was a full moon so they should still be a good mix of shallow and on the first transition back deeper and brush out on drops to deeper water.

Double post

All I can tell you is wherever they are they are doing a good job hiding from me. Lol. Good luck finding them.


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They aint hiding at my house. That's for sure

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Good question. I had this exact question on my mind yesterday morning. I'm also not experienced enough to give a good answer like the other guys in here.

At my usual place, the crappie have seemed to have done the same thing since January except for one single day. Last week, I caught a female that looked like she was about to pop and some males that had their colors on, but everyone was still very light from being deeper down in the water. On this past Wednesday I caught a big female that had laid all her eggs. All hanging on logs, bushes, tree tops, and any kind of junk I could find down at 4 feet deep. No fish stacked up.

What's strange is that I started fishing for these fish in this area back in November and I was able to consistently catch them at 8 feet deep. They moved up to 4 feet and haven't come any more shallow than that. Maybe the weather and fluctuating water may have something to do with that. I'm not exactly sure. I try to stay out there and keep an eye on them, but they do evade me from time to time!

It's seems like they dissappear e ery year about this time for a couple weeks.

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The one I caught yesterday was hugging a log on the bottom 9 ft deep

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Originally Posted by mighty

It's seems like they dissappear e ery year about this time for a couple weeks.

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I can get behind this. I'm hoping it will fire up one more good time so I can have a little fish fry at the house for my coworkers.

I’m experiencing the same currently as well. I’m still catching but not the numbers I have been. My go to method has been dock shooting and I have had success with that all year with the deepest dock I shoot at 10-12 feet deep. Pontoons are always a good target as well. My latest trip I found the majority of my catch schooled up under a pontoon. If where you fish has shootable docks or pontoons I recommend giving it a try. Crappie really like schooling up under structure for sure. Tight lines to you hopefully you can get into them soon just keep at it the reward is worth it.


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Me and my son (which he caught most of them) caught these off brush in deeper water at Little Bear last Saturday on the 22nd. But I went back the next day and only had 1 short fish they have definitely been hard to figure out this spring or at least for me it’s been feast or famine. Attachment 457019Attachment 457020


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I went Friday Spider riding and caught some trolling in the dirt, boat was in 2 FOW and my outside pole couldn’t have been in 12 inches of water. They all weren’t that shallow though. Then after putting up the long rods I moved out to a pile in 8 FOW and caught them, then checked a pile in 15 FOW and caught a few off it. I think they are just every stage right now. Got to be getting close to the last wave of spawning fish though.

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Originally Posted by Prater4586

I went Friday Spider riding and caught some trolling in the dirt, boat was in 2 FOW and my outside pole couldn’t have been in 12 inches of water. They all weren’t that shallow though. Then after putting up the long rods I moved out to a pile in 8 FOW and caught them, then checked a pile in 15 FOW and caught a few off it. I think they are just every stage right now. Got to be getting close to the last wave of spawning fish though.

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That’s about what we found yesterday

Jordan Lake April 29, 2023
https://www.crappie.com/crappie/alab...ril-29-2023-a/


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Still hiding. All I can find are bass. Fun but not what I want.


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I fished Bear Creek 4/27-4/30. last Thursday, Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday until i got blown off the water. I had 30 fish Thursday with 25 being mean male crappie. I had 18 Friday, 10 Saturday and 10 Sunday. Most of my fish came pulling 1/16" jigs in 4-8' of water. Females i did catch had all or most of their eggs. Water never got above 63 degrees for 4 days. i talked to people that was catching fish in 12-20' as well. Those fish were laid out. its been a crazy year for me.